25 BYOK Setups

The HHKB Hybrid Type-S is a keyboard people tend to keep for decades, and its compact layout leaves plenty of room on the desk. Here it is paired with a tall, adjustable desk stand that lifts the BYOK all the way up to eye level.

Raising the screen this high is the single biggest ergonomic upgrade you can make to a BYOK desk. Your neck stays neutral, and the keyboard stays exactly where your hands want it.

A lap desk turns the couch, the bed, or an armchair into a writing spot. On it sits the Keychron K3 Max, an exceptional low-profile mechanical keyboard that keeps the setup thin without giving up real switches.

The BYOK is held by the lap desk's built-in slot, which was designed for a smartphone. This comes up again and again on this list: because BYOK is close to a phone in size, accessories made for phones tend to fit it perfectly.

The new Clicks Power Keyboard is a handheld keyboard the BYOK can attach to directly, so you can type standing up, on a train, or anywhere you would otherwise be thumbing out notes on a phone.

Both the Power Keyboard and the BYOK fit comfortably in the carrying case at the same time, which makes this one of the most compact complete setups on the list.

The ElimKeys Elytra is a split keyboard with a beautifully crafted metal body that feels wonderful to type on. Splitting the board lets your shoulders and wrists sit naturally instead of angling inward.

Above it, an adjustable desk arm clamps to the table and holds the BYOK comfortably at eye level. Together they make the most ergonomic desk setup on this list.

We took a NuPhy Air keyboard and its official folio case and turned them into a clamshell. The BYOK attaches to the empty flap of the folio with a magnet, so when the folio is open it sits above the keyboard like a laptop screen.

The result is a setup that feels like a single piece. Fold the folio closed and it protects both the keyboard and the BYOK. Open it on a lap, a table, or anything in between and you are writing.

The Keychron K2 Ultra is an incredibly comfortable keyboard for at-home desk and table work. The gooseneck arm is what makes this setup interesting: clamp one end to a bed frame, a side table, or a chair and it holds the BYOK wherever you bend it.

Finding somewhere to clamp is easier than you would expect. Once it is on, adjust the neck to your heart's content until the screen is exactly where you want it.

Keychron removed the function and number rows from this board, and for pure drafting it works surprisingly well. Fewer keys means a smaller footprint and less reaching.

The stand is the highlight. It can clamp onto something like a gooseneck does, or fold out its legs and stand like a tripod, and either way an adjustable magnetic arm extends from it. It is a great one to travel with if you want to hook the BYOK onto an airplane seatback or get creative somewhere else. It opens up possibilities other stands cannot.

This contraption hangs around your neck like a necklace and ends in a magnetic mount. Wherever you are, the BYOK screen is looking back at you: lying on the couch, in bed, sitting in a chair, just about anywhere. Wearing it in public is not highly recommended unless you are feeling extra bold.

The keyboard is a NuPhy Halo with custom keycaps, which delivers a premium mechanical typing experience to go with the unusual mount.

A great outdoor setup. The magnetic tripod is highly portable yet reaches surprisingly high off the ground, so the BYOK can sit at eye level even when you are in a tall chair.

The Logitech Pebble is a great budget keyboard and very portable, which makes the whole kit easy to throw in a bag for a park, a patio, or a campsite.

Another community favorite. A small magnetic stand sits on top of a book stand, holding the BYOK right above your physical reference material.

Notes, an outline, or a printed draft sit at eye level next to the screen, and the keyboard stays down at desk level where it belongs. It is a simple arrangement that suits research-heavy writing.

The Epomaker TH40 is a small mechanical keyboard with custom keycaps that offers a full mechanical typing experience while remaining highly portable.

The articulating arm has a clamp on one end and a magnetic mount on the other, so you can attach the BYOK to virtually anything, indoors or out, and angle it exactly how you want.

The Keychron K2 HE Special Edition is the one with wood: wooden accents along the sides, and a premium mechanical feel.

The adjustable folding tripod stand packs down even smaller than the tripod in setup 7, though it does not reach quite as high. Overall a great desk setup.